The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1887-04-22
FAIR RATES ON ALL HAULs.

Saturdays Chicago Tribune contains an
article on the interstate commerce bill
which is the fairest in its discussion of
the new railroad law that has come to
our notice. Immediately after the adop-
ton OF this law, says the Tribune, the
President of leading Western railroad
expressed the opinion that the manag-
ers should get together, shove up rates
100 per cent, throttle the commerce Of
the country, and hold the situation I'M
ill the President summoned Congress in
special session TO repeal the act. Closer
study of the new law and some consid-
Grafton of the state of public sentiment
convinced even the Wall street railroad
wreckers and spectators that no such
policy could be ventured. The act was
well guarded against open assault, and
after full consideration the corporations
decided not to risk u trial Of strength
with the National authorities. Since
then the general policy Opposed, how
ever, by some sagacions managers) has
been to torture the law and violate it's
spirit while trying to keep within the
letter. Allotted in this scheme by news
papers tarred with the corporation stick
and by certain shippers mourning the
loss of rebates and special favors and
quick to attribute to the Interstate act
every hardship arising from its perver-
SION, it is remarkable how easily the
radical change of system contemplated
by the new law is going into effect.
The Tribune is of the opinion that, as
rule, the long haul business is affected
only for the better, and attempts to
pervert the law relate mainly to short
hauls from local points which the rail
road officials seem TO think they still
have at their mercv. The interstate
act contemplated that the long hauls
would be regulated mainly by the force
of competition between carriers, and the
correctness of this view is already
shown by the inability of the roads to
advance such charges, and by the for
NAL notice some of the lines have given
of intention to cut the rates established
by voluntary agreements less than a
fortnight ago. Competition will regu-
late the long hauls, and the roads ad-
vancing rates unreasonably must give
up the business and lose the profits now
that pools are abolished. In respect TO
short hauls the law has two provisions:
% The requirement that the rate, like
that for all hauls. shall be reasonable
and just" i'm itself, and (2) that it shall
not exceed chat charged for longer
selfexecuting, like the released force of
competition which is already regulating
the long hauls SO effectively. but they
depend depend for their enforcement
on the courts and the comm ission.
The urgent need just now is for ener-
getic and prompt action by the commits
sion in demonstrating TO the railroads
that it is not enough to preserve GER
tain proportion between long and short
hanls, but that each must he "reasona-
BILE and just" in itself. Extortionate
charges cannot be made on short hauls,
and justified, simply because less is
charged for a shorter than q longer dis
lance. but. Is the law SO explicitly and
emphatically declares, the rate must
be essentially reasonable and just"
Whether a rate is reasonable or not de-
ponds on facts as ascertainabie with al
most scientific precision, and on which
the commission should be able to pro-
nounce prompt judgment. The COM
mission should lose no time in sup
pressing the conspiracy to pervert the
law by excessive advances of short
haul rates. Speedy action is needed 10
bring all the beneficial features of the
new law into operation and show that
the rates on all hauls must be fair.
There is no doubt but the great ma
joTity of the roads piercing the North
west are DESTROYS of doing about the
fair thing, but with the hauling and
pulling inaagurated by the cities here
tofore favored in transportation, it is
possible they may Yield to the clamor
unless that necessary encouragement is
given them by the rural districts pub
lic expression of faith in the law.